As I read our text today I wondered how many churches around the world are hindering instead of working toward the growth of the Kingdom of God.
Let me explain what I mean. I have been a Christian since I was 15 years old, and from then until now, I have been a member of 4 churches. I also attended one while in the Marine Corps that I never joined. The only time I moved my membership from one church to another was when I moved. That is except for when I finally surrendered to preach and God called me to pastor a church. I say this just to illustrate that I stayed in a church. Yet during those times on multiple occasions, I let things of the world to get in-between me and God. Put another way, I had idols. I didn't realize that during those times, even though the Pastor might not have realized it, God would have him preach to me so as to get me back in line serving God. Today, as I was reading the text that God brought me to for our devotional, God brought this realization to me. Listen to our text. Jude 1:3 NASB1995 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith. which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Jude desired to proclaim in his letter the glorious salvation by grace through the saving faith that they shared. This type of proclamation would have through the word of God, convicted people to receive the gift of salvation in Jesus. However, Jude, had to stop that, so he could correct the sin of the church (the body of believers). They had to be corrected for allowing the world to creep in and give them idols (sin). Therefore, they, just like me, had hindered the growth of the kingdom.
By living in sin and putting all these worldly idols in front of the worship of God. They caused Jude to have to proclaim in his letter a different message.
I wonder how many times God had to have the preacher correct me when His desire was to reach the lost? I am an individual member of the church, which makes up the body that God has chosen to be the vessel by which He pours out the gospel to the world. I have often been the blockage that hindered the free flow of the gospel message from the church vessel.
Picture the pitchers all of us have had in our homes. They have a lid that, when turned one-way, allows the fluid to flow freely. When turned the opposite way, it strains, and although it comes out, it is not a free flow. What I have found is that when the lid is closed it will barely trickle if you tip it up. There have been many times I have been that closed lid. Even as a Pastor, God has had me preach correction to myself because I was the closed lid.
Have you ever been the closed lid of the vessel called the church?
Lord forgive me for being the closed lid in the church that caused the message to be shaken inside the vessel for my correction but only trickle out to a lost world! Lord help us to always be a church with the lid opened for free flow of the gospel.
Amen.
Love Bro. Scott